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To visit
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| The village of Pomarance, whose origin is prior to the year 1000, preserves its structure of medieval castle with walls and access gates. The view from the "caves" is particularly impressive : it is an area subject to landslides similar to the cliffs in Volterra, which has swallowed up the most ancient buildings over the centuries. |
To visit: The Romanesque church (XII century) keeps its austere original façade, while the Interior, restored between the XVIII and XIX century, still preserves a nave and two side aisles and is enriched with frescos and valuable works of art. The theatre, the “Coraggiosi”, is of classic Italian design, shaped like a horseshoe with stalls and three tiers. of boxes and dates from the XIX century. Recently restored , it has become a venue for shows, concerts and cultural events. Several courtly palaces of the same period flank Via Roncalli. Among them are Casa Bicocchi , a perfectly preserved and fully furnished residence which is open to the public; Palazzo de Larderel in a neoclassic style, once owned by the de Larderels, a family who started up the exploitation of the boraciferous fumaroles; Palazzo Ricci, which houses the Town Hall library and an interesting collection of ceramics of Pomarance dating back to the XVI and XVII century.( In the library you will find an Internet point and a reading and book loans service). |
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| We don't know the exact etymology of the name Pomarance. In old documents the village is mentioned as Ripamaranci, Ripamarancie, Ripomaraanci and later as Le Pomarancie, till we find today's name. Some historians claim the name is linked with the growing of oranges, an activity which died out in the cold winter of 1306. According to Curzio Inghirami the name comes from the roman legionary Marancio Pomario, others say it derives from “Ripa Marazza” (that is hill on a marsh) or Ripa Marancia that is cliff on the left bank of the river Cecina, another possibility is that suggested by Prof.Fiumi, who is convinced of the Etruscan origin of the name. Ripamaranci is mentioned for the first time in a tale made by a group of Christians led by San Regolo who came from Africa arrived in Populonia (515 A.D.) and set off for Volterra stopping in Pomarance. The legend has it that one of them, San Giusto, left his footprint on a gabbro rock. |
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